Ribbon-feeding mechanism.



` H. o. GAMMETER.

RIBBON PEEDING` MEGHANISM.

APLIOATION FILED MAR. 2, 190B.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Patented July 11, 1911.

H. C. GAMMETER. RIBBON FEEDING MECHANYISM. APPLIOATION FILED MARA, 1m.l

. 997,615, Patented July 11,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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H. C. GAMMETER.

RIBBON PEEDING MBGHANISM; v

` APPLICATION FIL-EID lMAB.. 2, 1908. 997,6 1'5.

Patelltd July 11, 1911.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

a@ fyi-25% .Y gan/6fm H. C. GAMMETBR. -RIBBON PEBDING MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1908.

997,6 1 5. Patented Ju1y11,191'1 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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HARRY/ C. GAMMETER, 0F COLLINWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANVMULTIH' GRAPH COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIOi RIBBON-Famine iviEcHnNisM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Original application led December 16, 1907, Serial No. 406,678. Divided and this application filed March 2,

190s. serial no. 418,657.

' i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. GAMMETER,

`a citizen of the'United States, residing at Ccllinwood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invent-ed a certain new..

and useful Improvement in Ribbon-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following isa full,

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mechanism for feeding ribbons such as are used in various machines, for example, those where lprinting is etiectedthrough an inked ribbon.

The primary object of the invention is to provide mechanism for automatically reversing the direction of the feed.

My mechanism is shown herein as embodied in aprinting machine having a rotary drum carrying t-Wo spools on which the ends of the ribbon are wound.` The feeding mechanism is carried partly by such drum and partly by a stationary member, so that tion of my invention with printingmecha#V nism, and more particularly lwith ratary'jv printing mechanism, or rinting mechanism" adapted to carry a page orm of type, is cov' 'ered in my application No.' 406,678, filed December 16, 1907, of which this is a division.

In tli'e drawings, Figure 1 is a front-elevation of a rotary printing machine which may embody my feeding mechanism; Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the ribbon spools with their support-s and holding springs;

Fig. 3is a vertical section through the rightv hand 4frame member of the machine and the adjacent endl of the drum; Fig. 4 is an eleva= tion of the right hand end member of the drum which carries the eedinglm'echanism,

this view being taken looking from .the interior of the drum; Fig. 5 is an outside end lview of the drum sectioned throu h the stationary eccentric on the frange mein er Fins. 6 and 7 are portions of similar views in different positions; the remaining figures are perspectives of different members of the feeding mechanism; namely; Fig. 8, one of the ratchet wheels; Fig. 9, the eccentric strupgvFig. 10, the bar reciprocated by the eccentric strap; Fig'll, the detent roller for holding the pawl supporting the plate in either extreme position; Fig. 12, one of the arms limiting the outward movement of the pawls; Fig. 13, one oft-he ratchet driving pawls;` Fig. 14, the plate which carries the driving pawls.

Referring to the parts by reference numerals, 20 represents theframe of the machine wliich is shown as having a pair of vertical end plates 21 and 22. Mounted .in

these plates is the shaft 23 which carries theprinting drum, the drum having spider-like end members 24 and 25 and having a partial cylindrical 'surface 26 on which arel longitudinal rails 27 forming undercut channels adapted t-o carry rows of individuagroovedY type. A crank 28 furnishes means forrotaiing the drum. Beneath the drum 1s a rotary platen 30 connected with the drum by gears 31 and 32.

35 and 36.*represent the ribbon spools which occupy .a recess inthe drum. The ends of the ribbon are secured to these spools, for example, by means offtroughshaped clamps 38 springing into slots in the' spools. The ribbon passes from one spool around the surface ofthe drum and over.

the type to the other spool. Accordingly, if

.the drum be rotated by the crank and paper be-fed` to the contacting line of the druml and platen, the same willbe printed by successive lines of type through the ribbon.

The type may well have a face similar to typewriter type, in which case the rolling contact through the'ribbon produces an al- -most exact imitation of typewritten work, 'the irregularities resulting from the type beingsomewhat loosely held on the drum heightening this eli'ect.

To present a fresh face to the type for successive-impressions, I provide mechanism to gradually rotate either ribbonspool. As shown, this mechanism includes a air of ratchet wheels 40 and 41 adapted to e con- .nected with the respective spools by lugs 42 engagin openings in the spool heads 39. Fig. 8 il ustrates such ratchet vWheel 4,0. The

spools are pressed toward the ratohets by al lspring 38 (Fig. 2) forcing inw-ard the pins 34. onl which the spools bear at that end. A stationary eccentric 4.4, formed as a boss on the inner. side of the frame member 22, operates intermediate mechanism carried by i fthe end member 24 of the .drum and traveling 'aliound with the drum and reciprocated "1in, and out radially by such eccentric to op- 1 'rte the corresponding spool. -I vwill now proceed to describe t-he mechanism vwhich eiiects the ribbon drive and allows this automatic reversal.

45 indicates an eccentric strap surrounding the stationary eccentric 44. At its outer end lthis strapextends around a pin 4G projecting from a bar 47,v the lower end ofwhich yokes around the shaft 23 having a parallel sidedelongated openingi48 which engages a guiding bushing 49 on the shaft.` Fig. -9 showsthe eccentric lstrap and Fig. 10 the bar. Near its outer end this bar 47 carries a block 51slidably engaging a radial pin 52 carried by the end member 24 of the drum, the result being that this bar is reci ro'cated radially as the drum rotates.

ivoted to the bar 47 by the pin l55 is a plate 56 in the form shown in Fig. 14, the pin passing-through an opening 53 in the plate. Pivoted to this plate on the opposite sides of its pivot are two pawls57 and 58 in the -form shown in Fig. 13. The lower ends of these pawls are given a tendency to move toward each other by a spring 60 con- I nected to such lower` ends. Mounted onA the pivot pins G1 of these pawls are short rock arms 63, of the 'form shown in Fig. 12, each rock arm having a lug adapted to engage the outer side ofv the respective pawl 57 or 58.` These two rock arms are constrained toward each other by a spring (55 which is materially stronger than the spring (l0. The upper end of the bar 47'is bent parallel therewith, after the mannero an inverted U, as shown at G7 in Fig. 10.-- Between this bent over por? tion and the lJody of the bar is a roller 68 (shown detached in Fig. 11) which is adapted to lie in either of two recesses 70 in the plate 5G, the roller being constrained in- Wardly radially by means of a spring 72, anchored on the pin and connected at its outer end with a hook 73 passing through a Slot 74 in the bent over end G7 of the bar 47 and passing into a central opening in the roller GSL The operation of the above described construction is as follows: lVhen the plate 5G is 'in either extreme position, it is normally held by the roller G8 and the spring 72, and accordingly reciprocates as one with the bar 47, this `reciprocation causing the corresponding pawl 57 or 58 to engage the teeth of the corresponding ratchet .and feed the same when the bar moves inward. The

spring 65 acting on the rock arms 63 prevents the pawls normally passing outwardly beyond the limits provided by the lugs G4,

so that the. unengaged pawl is normally idle.y

The engaged pawl may swing inwardly, as the conveXity of the ratchet moves itaway from the lug, the spring 60 allowing this result. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5,` the pawl 57 is in position to l'engage the ratchet 40. If, however, the roller 68 were in engagement with the other notch 70, the member 56 would be positioned so that the pawl 58 would be in position to engage the ratchet 41, the other pawl being idle. A projecting lip 75 at the upper end of the plate 456 furnishes'a handle by which it maybe shifted by the operators fingers into either .position to set the direction of the drive as desired. The peculiar advantage, however, of my driving mechanism is its automatically reversing feature. This operates as follows: lVhen either ribbon spool becomes empty, as, for example, the spool 35 connected with the ratchet 40, the pawl operating therewith, for example 57, is retarded on its inward stroke by reason of the stretched ribbon preventing the ratchet rotating. This retardation anchors, as iti'were, the pivot 61 of the pawl so that on the' continued movement of the bar and plate 5G, this plate swings about such pin as al pivot and thereby passes over to its other extreme position, the roller 68 being forced outwardly slightly and passing intothe other depression 70. The described movement, however, cannot'take pla'ce until the vdriving pawl, as 57, has a firm hold on its ratchet and is held thereto by the back lash of the ratchet teeth and the pawl nose. Accordingly, when the plate 56 swings over to the other extreme position, the engaged pawl, as 57, does not immediately swing with it but retains its .engagement with the former ratchet wheel, the spring 65 expanding to allow such movement. The other .pawl,

as 58, comes into engagement with its wheel, l

and, accordingly, thedriving mechanism is connected with both wheels, and the rest of the inward movement Winds 1n both spools and tightens the ribbon. This tightening.

sition, wherefore the continued movement.

operates the newly engaged ratchet only.

lt is to be understood that the effectivel driving movement of the mechanism takes. v. place `while the recess in which the spools are mounted is moving past the platen. The

eccentric 44 extends in such direction that while the-type portion of the drum is movis either moving outwardly or" moving inwardly'but beyond the ratchets. The outer movement yoccupies half the rotat-ion and the idle inward movement substantially a quarter of the rotation so that the effective inward movement, which is the last half of the total inward movement, is substantially for a quarter rotation. l y

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the position of the drum when the automatic shifting may take place, these views being 'taken looking at the end of the drum from the right hand with the parts traveling in the contracloclwise direction. It will be seen that in Fig. 5, the driving mechanism is moving outwardly, then after it leaves the upper left'hand portionl of the circle it begins to move inwardly, the actual engagement taking place as thc mechanism is leaving the lower left hand portion of the circle. If on such engagement one of the spools is empty, the driving mechanism willcome into the position shown in Fig. 6, where the pawls engage both ratchets and where the ribbon is pulled from both directions. This pull will continue until the drivingmechanism has entered the lower right hand portion of the i circle. Then, as the mechanism is movingupwardly, it moves outwardly so that, as it comes into the position shown in Fig. 7 in the upper right hand portion of the circle, the former pawl releases its hold on the former ratchet, and the mechanism is thus completely reversed, ready for successive subsequent feeding on the Anew ratchet.

I claim:

l. In a ribbon feeding mechanism', the' combination of a pair of Wheels, both being drivers for feedin theribbon, a'pair of pawls, each vadapted to engage its respective wheel, and means for causing said pawls to be 1n engagement with both wheels simultaneously. y

2. In aribbon feeding'- mechanism', the combination of a pair of driving Wheels, a pairof pawls for driving the same, and means for automatically changing the presentation of the driving mechanismfto present either pawl to the corresponding wheel and during such change causing the pawls to engage both wheels consequent upon the retardation of one of the wheels.'

3.' In a ribbon` feeding mechanism, the combination of a pair of spools, a pair of independently pivoted driving pawls, and a pivoted member on which said pawls are mounted on opposite sides of its pivot,

said parts being so formedthat the retarda-v tion of either pawl may shift the member to bring the other pawl into engagement with the other Wheel. 4. In' a ribbon feeding mechanism, the combination of a pair of spools, a pair of independently pivoted driving pawls, a pivoted member on which said pawls are mounted on opposite sides of its pirot, and

. bring the other adapted to engage.

a spring detent for normally holding said member in either extreme position, said parts being so formed that the retardation of either pawl may shift' the member to bring the other pawl into engagement with the other wheel.

5. In a ribbon feeding mechanism, the combination -of a pair of wheels, ay pair of wheels, a pivoted member carrying said pawls and adapted to be held with either paw] in position to coperate with its corresponding wheel, the stoppage of either page.

causing the member to shift on its pivot tc paWl into engagement with the other wheel. y

6. In a ribbon feeding mechanism, vthe combination of a pair of driving wheels, a pair of pawls adapted vto engage their respective wheels, and a movable member car'- rying said pawls and adapted to be held with either pawl in position to cooperate. with its corresponding wheel, said member being formed to allow both Vpawls to simul`4 ,taneously' engage with both wheels.

7. In a ribbon feeding mechanism, the' pair ofwheels, a reciprok combination of a eating member, a pivoted member carried thereby, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on said pivoted member on opposite sides of its pivot, said pawls .being adapted to engage said wheels respectively and each adapted to form an anchorage to shift said pivoted member to present the other` pawl to the other wheel. y

8. In a 'ribbon feeding mechanism, the combination of a pair of wheelsQa reciprocating member, a plate pivoted thereto, and a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on said plate, said pawls being adapted to engage said wheels respectively and each adapted to form an anchorage to shift said pivoted member' .to present the other pawl to the other wheel. v

9. In a ribbon feeding mechanism, the

ing member, a pivoted member carried thereby, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on said pivoted member, said pawls being said wheels respectively, and spring mechanism adapted to hold the idle pawl in idle position but allowing it to be moved against the action of the spring to engage the corresponding wheel. v

10. The combination of a pair of wheels,

lpawls adapted to engage their-respective a pair of pawls adapted to enga-ge the same respectively, tendency to move toward their respective wheels, movable stops for limiting such movement, and yiel means for conf straining such stops.

11. The combination of a pair ofrat-chet wheels, a pair-'of pivoted pawls adapted to engage the same respectively, a spring connecting said pawls and giving them a tend.-

means for giving said' pawls al ISO Apawls pivotally carried .by said pivoted ing means for the pawls.

.wheels, a reciprocating' member, a pivoted ency to move outwardly, stops limiting the outward movement, and a spring holding said stops in normal position.

12. The combination of a pair of ratchet wheels, a reciprocating member, a pivoted member thereon, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on said pivoted member and adapted to engage the respective 'ratchet wheels, means tending to move said pawls outwardly, and means for elastically limiting the outward movement.

13. The combination of a air of ratchet wheels, a reciprocating lmein er, a pivoted member thereon, av pair of ypawls pivotally. mounted on said pivoted member. on opposite sides of its piv'ot and adapted to engage the respective ratchet wheels, a spring teiiding to. move said pawls outwardly, andi spring means for limiting such outward movement.

14. In a ribbon feeding mechanism, the combination of a reciprocating member, a pivoted member mounted thereon, a pair of member., means tending to force said pawls outwardly, and spring controlledvrest-iain The combination of a pair of ratchet m'ember thereon, a pair of pawls pivotally mounted on said pivoted member and adapted to engage the respective ratchet wheels, and a spring tending to i'nove said pawls outwardly, and a pair of rock arms pivotally carried 'also by said pivoted member, said rock arms having lugs providing stops for the pawls, and a spring connecting said rock arms,- said spring being stronger than the spring connecting the pawls.

16. -In a ribbon feeding mechanism, the combination of a reciprocating member, a pivoted member mounted thereon, a roller L signature in ruided by on'efof said members and adapted to occupy either of two recesses in the other l. member, av spring for constraining said Copies of this patent may be obtained forlve cents each, byaddressing the roller, and a pair of pawls pivotally carried said pivotedmember. 17. In a ribbon feeding mechanism, the combination of apair of ratchet wheels, a reciprocating member, 'a pivoted member mounted thereon, a roller guided by the reciprocating member adapted to occupy either ofl two recesses in the pivoted member, a spring for constraining said roller, and a pair of pawls pivotally carried by said pivoted memb'er and wheels respectively.

18. In a ribbon feeding mechanism, the combination of a reciprocating member, a pivoted member mounted thereon, a roller guided by thereciprocating member adapt- .ed to occupy either of two recesses in the aspring for constraining a pair A of pawls pivotally carried by said pivoted member, means tending to force said pawls outwardly, and spring controlled vrestraining means for the pawls. v

1 9. The combination ofV a reciprocating member, a member pivoted thereto, Aa air pivoted member, said roller, and

adapted to engage said of pawls pivoted to the pivoted mem er,

means for swinging 'said pawls on their pivots, and elasticmeans for limiting such movement of the pawls."

20. The combination of. a pivoted member, a pair of pawls pivoted tothe pivoted member, spring means for swingingsaid pawls on'- their pivots, and elastic means for limiting suoli movement ofthe pawls.

21. The combination, in-a ribbon feeding mechanism, of a pair of pivoted. pawls, spring means their pivots, and elastically lheld means for limiting suclrinovement of the pawls.

In testimonyV whereof, I hereunto aix my the presence of two witnesses,A

HARRY CQGAMMETER. lVitnesses 'M A. BRADLEY, T. F. NEWMAN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

for swinging said pawls on 

